I came to it quite late, a few years before his death. I never got a hug from him, neither in Sanzen nor anywhere else. A handshake once, in present of others. Sanzen never lasted more than 1-2 minutes for me. He would ring me out immediately with the words: "Not enough or more pure." Roshi gave me a feeling of being seen, giving effort and arrive here an know in my one body and live. Back at the cushion, I usually cried because there were so many tears that had not been cried. When I hear you talk like that, I realize that we were probably all pretty broken, shaped by life. Once he call me "good studet" in present of hole sagha, I was very proud. He, Genro, and the practice were, in any case, my salvation (if you can put it that way), so, right now I see no problem in continuing the lineage. It is one of the three jewels, Dharma. What each individual makes of it is each individual's karma, not the dharma. Roshi took that to the grave, he bears it, not you and not me. person only bear own behavior in relation to the situation, direct contact, not direct contact, observer, outsider, what so ever. I think it is always important to Reflect and act out of this reflection next time. That's Sangemon.

Well Mich.. It is silly to me. Speculation doesn't seem helpful in the buddhist sphere. Like God or Consciousness, enlightenment can't be proved, only claimed. I tend to distrust the motivations of those who claim it. I have met some incredibly grounded people in my life. It is not clear to me that they weren't just born that way.

Thanks for your efforts.

Sorry, Shozan, but s.th. is deeply wrong with Americans and their categories, or more precisely, their sexual aversions. Besides any misbehaviour of that zen teacher: A "pedophile" is by definition s.o. who loves children before puberty. But a sexual relationship with a 16 year old is not illegal in many countries, not even in at least 30 of the US states. You are not the only one misusing that word in such discussions. (I have to add:) You probably mix it up.with the age gap that was introduced into that law in modern times, contrary (?) to scientific research that has shown an overall arousal of adult men by girls/women in their puberty. I know the law is there to protect them from the experienced adult, the idea is based on a power gap. But it is new and not accepted everywhere in the world and doesn't justify to call s.o. much older who is interested in a "15 or 16 year old" a pedophile. Claiming to be NOT interested in them would actually make me suspicious, it goes against our nature. It would be another topic how to deal with it adequately. Whatever Joshu's groping etc. was for others, it surely managed to put a finger into that wound of (not exclusively) US prudery.

The problem is that you are calling people enlightened and not enlightened. We are humans that do good and bad things. These Buddhist teachers that did bad things…did bad things.

It's wonderful that you were able to receive the teachings. It is fine that they came to you through him. So much the better than if he had committed his transgressions and NOT given you (or anyone else) the teaching. But do you need him anymore? The years you spent studying with him and caring for him will always be a part of your story, but does that mean he needs to be a part of your teaching? The truth can come through you just as it did through him. It was never his to begin with. Perhaps it is time to leave behind the raft now that you have crossed to the other shore.

Very good teaching. Tq

American Zen: just a Cult of knowing. Human life is shorter then we count on. Confidential-San, start over...Now!

Thank you for the honest, powerful teaching. Does “awakened” equal “flawless”? Untroubled? Uncomplicated? Defilements are Buddha mind.

(I'm about to say too much. Sorry) I appreciate you, your humanity. I feel raised up from my ordinaryness when I listen to you. In my life I have known many priests, monks, professors, and others who carry credentials for "knowing." All, every single one, are fully human, with flaws tarnishing their wise knowing. The only ones worth hearing are those few who don't sit on the throne of their "wisdom" like wee Buddhas smiling down on us ordinary folk imparting stinking blessings while grabbing gluttonous pleasures self righteously. Oh my, I've gone a bit far. My apologies. All I mean to say is that you are one of us, not one of those, and I appreciate you. Thank you.

I'm almost 60 years old, and I've studied Buddhism (and other philosophies) for over 40 years, but I do not consider myself a Buddhist. One problem I have with Buddhism is the concept of enlightenment. Buddhism presents Nirvana as something that is attainable. I don't think it is. The flame cannot be put out IMO. It can only be kept under control. We are all humans and we all make mistakes regardless of whether or not you call yourself enlightened. Thinking you're enlightened is a delusion of grandeur. But there is truth in Buddhism. Personally, my flames of desire are part of what make me human. I accept them. I don't try to extinguish them, but I don't let them control me.

The Dharma sang through your passion. The world was just doing its thing as usual, full of fruitcakes and nutcases. All praise the Buddha for suggesting that the self can be seen.

this all has a Sunset Boulevard kind of vibe

Beautiful video, love it, wow what an experience. Thank you for sharing.

Thank you. A deeply flawed human that I deeply respect once reminded me that “people aren’t their worst traits.”

"Can secular buddhistic practices, as they are applied in therapeutic settings, be as efficacious as traditional zen methods in providing spiritual fulfillment?" - I'm wondering if you can do a video on this topic some day. I really appreciate your words ❤❤❤

But Zen teachers need to treat their students like psychiatric patients and hold them wisely! They're PAYING FOR A SERVICE! Come on! Get with the program!

Sometimes it is difficult to recognise the abusive behaviour happening in the sangha/organisation to which you have 'invested' so much time, faith and probably money. It can be a useful start to removing the 'rose tinted glasses' by reading authorative accounts of what has happened in other Buddhist organisations when abusive teachers had control. For anyone interested in getting involved in any Buddhist organisation or tradition I would recommend 'Fallout, recovering from abuse in Tibetan Buddhism' by Tahlia Newland. The author was parr of the Rigps organisation of Sogyal Rinpoche for about 20 years. She was unaware of the physical, emotional and sexual abuse of students by the allegedly 'enlightened' Rinpoche until it was exposed in 2017 by whistle blowers who were part of the inner circle. The wrecking of sanghas and organisations in the Tibetan Buddhist traditions which have come to the West to spread dharma but have been used by abusive gurus/teachers is now well documented. The closing of ranks by Tibetan Buddhisms religious hierarchy is worthy of the Catholic Church.

It's a tough question. My first teacher turned out to be a bit fruity!! I learned so much off him and he was an undeniable genius...but I couldn't reconcile the paradox. Aftef I left some more scandal broke. I keep my distance now but still teach his stuff. I don't think we're meant to understand these things. They're meant to challenge our polarised sense of right and wrong, whilst we do our best not to repeat the behaviour! My opinion, by the way!! Thanks for the vid! D

Interesting question. Thanks for sharing! I tend to see enlightenment as an ideal now and ​a sort of zen carrot.. Personally, I think a good teacher should never mention the word.. unless he can't avoid it. I've seen ​zen teachers with ​less grounding than most who claim to be enlightened. But I can see why they feel they have to let ​it be known. As a philosophy I think Buddhism is pretty great. But awakening has to happen every day. That is the beauty of a zen life. The sad part of ​it is that everyone has reasons for every stupid thing they do.

(1) If one becomes enlightened, I wonder if that means that they be remain enlightened every moment of every day thereafter? (2) Do they understand the harm they are doing to those they abuse, when they do so? Are we interpreting their intentions/behaviors in the Right way? How would a jury of his enlightened peers interpret to their actions? What is it like for an enlightened person to be immersed in a deluded culture? You might think I'm looking for excuses for them, but is it right to judge someone who is perceiving the world in a fundamentally different way? (3) Do as they teach, not as they do. When I was a teenager, I was inspired by the science fiction writings of an arthur who was having relationships with minors. He solved the problem by moving to another country where the culture accepted that behavior. And the families of those minors are said to have actually appreciated the interest he had taken in their children. (Yuck!) I never regretted reading his works or being inspired by them.

I have the assumption that whatever this enlightenment-thing might be, it doesn't really affect every aspect of a persons character or psyche. In short: If you are an a**hole and get enlightened, you still are enlightened a**hole.... You might transcend your ego or your "small self" but you don't erase it. Thank you for the heartwarming Video!

An un-enlightened person can be a great dharma teacher. A person who commits sexual misconduct can be a great dharma teacher (for some people, perhaps). But... can an enlightened person commit sexual misconduct? The answer is no, if you agree with the statements ascribed to Shakyamuni Buddha in the Pali Canon suttas. It's pretty unequivocal. For Shakyamuni Buddha (in the Pali Canon era of teachings), the stream-enterer, which one might call the "lowest" level of enlightened being, "... possesses the virtues dear to the noble ones-unbroken, untorn, unblemished, unmottled, freeing, praised by the wise, ungrasped, leading to concentration." SN 55:1, (tr. Ajahn Sujato) Stated again, in AN 9:7, (tr. Ajahn Sujato) "In the past, as today, I say this: ‘A mendicant who is perfected-with defilements ended, who has completed the spiritual journey, done what had to be done, laid down the burden, achieved their own true goal, utterly ended the fetters of rebirth, and is rightly freed through enlightenment-can’t transgress in nine respects. A mendicant with defilements ended can’t deliberately take the life of a living creature, take something with the intention to steal, have sex, tell a deliberate lie, or store up goods for their own enjoyment like they did as a lay person. And they can’t make decisions prejudiced by favoritism, hostility, stupidity, or cowardice.’ In the past, as today, I say this: ‘A mendicant who is perfected-with defilements ended, who has completed the spiritual journey, done what had to be done, laid down the burden, achieved their own true goal, utterly ended the fetters of rebirth, and is rightly freed through enlightenment-can’t transgress in these nine respects.’”

The confusion caused by Identity and Authority are an issue here. If I am a Communist (identity) my relationship to Das Kapital and Karl Marx (authority) is necessarily messed up.

In the world of the relative; sexually abusing those who trust you is deeply repugnant. In the world of the absolute; we all act unwisely from our conditioning and we can feel compassion for those who are subject to their conditioning. Wisdom is walking the path where these acts are both repugnant and compassion-worthy.

Thanks Jack. Always interested in your direct experiences as a monk. Too easy to get wrapped up in the theory of this malarkey, manifesting it in real life is the challenge.

The Buddha hinself has tought the middle way after having experienced extreme luxuriosoty and extreme ascesis. Any extremism in the one or other direction is no valid way to end suffering.

Has it occurred to you that the three elements of your lay practice as you played them out sound pretty much like you’re talking about… the three jewels?

Thank you!

Interesting talk and lots of comments with different points of view. Reminded me of some of the reasons I came away from a sangha after nearly forty years involvement. Still practicing and have fond and very special memories but came to understand I no longer fitted in.

You said to not do it to get anything out of it, so if I notice the benefits, and just, enjoy it, is that cool?Also should start by just going into posture doing the breath without bringing the problems into it first if I’m still a beginner basically? Thank you.

Hey ! I’m gonna do it, thank you

Thank you! This is so tricky and I appreciate you talking about it.

Cool vid. Just what I needed, as my practice has gone sideways a bit! It's hard not going to practice with an agenda. The mind is just constantly trying to solve problems...and it sees sitting and doing nothing as exactly that - a problem! Onwards and onwards!! D❤

and all this time i thought that red hot ball was a vestigal memory of a cigarette my father smoked.

intelligence unconstrained by my thoughts and beliefs, is less constrained - unbounded intelligence for the win! maybe even a selfless win? a win for the universe?

Sit. Stand. Walk. Stand. Sit. Think no thought thoughts. Emptiness. A moment. The pointless point. Here. Firmly. (At least, that's my thought...😂)

I learned meditation ages ago because I read about Cognitive Behavioral Therapy but couldn’t afford it- sitting zazen was free (and if I snot cried the whole time the nice Buddhists just said “don’t worry, your snotting is just our practice tonite” lol) Learning a modicum of control over my thinking saved my life tho- no hyperbole I just practice at unclenching the fist of my mind over and over… but hell I’ve got a few hitches in the proceedings- maybe I’ll try this belly thinking of yours ;)

Oh my goodness, well spoken sir. Thinking the thought of no thought, I sit. I don’t use meditation to solve problems, but when I sit properly, as you articulate, they solve themselves. Strikingly magical and wonderful gifts!

oh man I love that description you use for the use of philosophy, "for conventional thought to catch up to teh present." that's such a great way of putting it. Philosophy at it's finest really does chop away so much, burns through it, leaves you standing there amazed. Baudrillard is another recent example. And yes BCH. Heidegger too is one of the greatest Zen masters to have lived imo. Shame about the nazi shit tho :(

Meditation is an ego-less event.

In fact I came to zazen by doing this kind of practice. To take the problem out of my head and bring it to the lower tantien, to hara. It is curious that with the practice my abdomen expands so much. Below the diaphragm...and you feel more free. I called it "thinking with the body"; in reality you digest it...many things happen...because the mind magnifies the problems.... The only problems that bother me are always related to other people...in the family environment.... The way relationships are...I consider that there is little talk...my role as a mother-in-law doesn't make it easy for me. Those sit-downs are my most handy medicine

dealing with difficult people is always hard... but you have to die to their difficulty, and suddenly they go away or dont bother you anymore... #toreienjisbodhisattvavow

Isn't it possible just to let thoughts go or let them be? Why do I have to do something with the breath?

To the extent this can be described in words … so perfectly done! I mean, the question itself is unnecessary to me, since enlightenment lies beyond categories or dualism, and yet also cannot escape them … but this is an intuitive understanding that’s impossible to articulate. ❤

Thank you! 🙏 ❤

The 'Art of Making IT Up As You Go Along' is one of the key Zen Arts. Use of the term 'Contemplation' varies from author to author. Some consider it thinking meditation, others meditation without thought (mystical Christians use this definition), for others it is about focusing on experiencing impermanence, emptiness, or no-self. Thank you for explaining how you're using it!

Thank you, my friend. I do need to revise it with the last bit you and Ikkyu helped me figured out.

Hey peeps!! Lemme know here if you've used meditation to solve YOUR problems...also, if you've used your problems to POWER your meditation??

Your girlfriend could try Feldenkrais. It could help her to learn new postures and movement patterns . Lots of practitioners in Austria.